- Saturday, April 27, 2024
By: Admin Super
The United Kingdom is home to a variety of exciting sports teams and leagues, with supportive fans occupying every corner of the country and backing their respective regions. Although football is arguably the most followed game in the U.K., another sport, cricket, also dominates in terms of viewership and fandom. Here we take a look at why the sport is so popular on this side of the pond.
It Has English Origins
Cricket was birthed in the U.K. as long ago as the 13th century. However, it wasn’t until the 17th century when the sport established itself as a leading activity thanks to the formation of the Hambledon Cricket Club in Hampshire. From here it moved to London, where its participants were mostly members of the middle and upper class. Because players were coming from well-off backgrounds, frequent funding allowed clubs to stay afoot and also expand their reach into different areas. Fast forward to nowadays and a total of 18 professional clubs represent U.K. cricket, with one in Wales and the rest in England.
Commercialization = Heightened Fan Engagement
Modern day technology has given cricket, and a wealth of other sports, the ability to flourish and grow like never before. In the early 2000s, Sky Sports became the official broadcaster of all cricket matches in the U.K. following an agreement between the ECB, England and Wales’ top tier male cricket club, and the British television network. This enabled people from all over the nation to tune into games happening in real-time from the comfort of their homes. Cricket’s popularity has also been advanced thanks to the influx of online and mobile sports betting brands which further connect fans to the game they love. These U.K.-based bookmakers are fully regulated and commonly provide new and existing users with discounted opportunities to interact with their wagering products and services. Therefore, it’s easy to see how both betting and broadcasting have made the sport more commercialized and enhanced levels of fan engagement in the U.K. and beyond in the process.
The Sport Boasts Important Global Competitions
Cricket is known for having many global competitions which take place annually or biannually and feature teams from different nations. When it comes to U.K. cricket, the Ashes is one of the most prestigious, fought out by England and Australia every two years. Another renowned tournament is the ICC World Cup which sees the best 16 countries face off against each other in a heated series. England is actually the latest winner of this prestigious event, as they beat out New Zealand in the 2019 Final, ending their 44-year winning drought in a heart-stopping battle. In addition to the sport having a variety of notable Championships, these games are hosted at unbelievably beautiful venues. ‘The Lord’s’ in London is one of these historic sites that welcomes fans to enjoy the best viewing experience in international cricket. As the year is wrapping up quickly, supporters should not miss out on a chance to register their interest for a 2022 fixture today!
